1. 1830s-1840s Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau
Transcendentalism
1830s-1840s
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau

2. Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a movement of thought that took place in America in the mid-1800s.

3. Transcendentalism
The foundation of Transcendental thought comes from a mixture of German philosophy, ancient Greek philosophy, Asian belief systems, and American Puritan beliefs.

4. Transcendentalism
The most important idea of transcendentalism was that true reality was not about the physical world but in spiritual understanding.

5. Transcendentalism
In determining the ultimate reality of truth, the universe, the self, and other important matters, one must transcend, or go beyond, everyday human experience in the world.

6. Transcendentalism
With that, the true reality involved ideas and emotions rather than the world as perceived by the senses.

7. Transcendentalism
Transcendentalists believed that people could become perfect through hard work, and they worked to achieve this goal.
The way to become more perfect was to seek after and gain a better understanding of truth.

8. Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included:
Transcendentalism
Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included:
Nature- Transcendentalists believed that truth reveals itself through nature. All aspects of Nature reveal part of truth/ spirituality.

9. Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included:
Transcendentalism
Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included:
Intuition- our capacity to know things spontaneously and immediately through our emotions rather than through our reasoning abilities.

10. Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included:
Transcendentalism
Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included:
Trust- Individuals must trust our own ability to know truth. Then we will realize that each of us is also part of the Divine Soul, the source of all good.

11. The Results of Transcendentalism:
Optimism- Transcendentalists urge people to free themselves of the “quiet desperation” of their lives.
Your condition today may seem dull and disheartening, but it need not be. If you discover the truth and spirituality within you, your life will partake of the grandeur of the universe.

12. The Results of Transcendentalism:
Self-Reliance: If you learn to trust your own ability to know truth and make decisions, you don’t need to rely on other people’s opinions or help to live your own life.
This also allows people to stand up for things they believe in and make a difference in their world.

13. The Major Overall Ideas
Transcendentalism
The Major Overall Ideas
Nonconformity
Self-Reliance
Free thought
Confidence
Importance of Nature

14. Ralph Waldo Emerson
RWE was the best known Transcendental writer and lecturer, making the ideas of Transcendentalism more widely known.
Emerson and his ideas appealed to both intellectuals and the general public.

15. Ralph Waldo Emerson
He expressed better than any other American previously the advantages of a young country and encouraged letting go of England’s ways of the past.

16. Henry David Thoreau

17. Journal
Reflect on the conversation you and your group had about nature, spirituality, and individualism. What were some of your thoughts?
What were some of the thoughts shared by your group members that made you think?
Do you think that these questions are important to your life? What questions are important to your life?

18. Journal #
What were some of the main ideas that you understood from “Self-Reliance”?
What does it mean in your life to be self-reliant?
Write about some experiences where you were self-reliant and the results.
Write about some experiences when you weren’t self-reliant and how did that make you feel?

19. Journal
Most people desire to be independent and free. What does it mean to be these things? What kind of life does an independent person live?
In what ways do you most desire to be independent and free? What responsibilities will you have to accept to receive independence?
Are there ways in which you would rather not be independent?

20. Journal
Under what circumstances, if any, would you be willing to go to jail for a moral or political principle?
Write a brief description of the principle and of your feelings about it. Why do you believe so strongly in that idea?
Or explain reasons that you wouldn’t be willing to go to jail for your beliefs. Is there any point in which you would go to jail?

21. Journal
A Muslim woman had her case thrown out of US court because she would not remove a veil from her face. The State of Florida demands that it be removed for a driving license picture. France has banned it in public schools. One British politician calls wearing a veil a “visible statement of separation and difference.”
Should the wearing of veils be banned in US high schools, courts, and/or public places?